United Church of Christ - Congregational in the Marshall Islands

The United Church of Christ - Congregational in the Marshall Islands (UCCCMI) grew out of the work started in 1857 by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (now the Wider Church Ministry of the United Church of Christ). From the beginning the main mission work was carried out by Pacific islanders, which meant that the life of the church was predominantly indigenous. When the United Church of Christ came into being in the USA in 1957, the church in the Marshall Islands took the same name. Full autonomy was achieved in 1972. After some internal difficulties a dissident group established the Reformed Congregational Church, and the UCCCIM took its present name. The church runs nine elementary schools and four chartered Christian high schools. Its pastors are trained at the Marshall’s Theological College, which receives students from all over Micronesia. The highest authority of the church is the assembly. A board of directors composed of seven men provides leadership in between the meetings of the assembly. The Church Women Fellowship has its own executive board.

The UCCCMI has some congregations in the USA, e.g. in Los Angeles, Honolulu and Eugene (Oregon). It is affiliated with the Wider Church Ministry of the UCC and the Division of Overseas Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the USA. It has a partnership relationship with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan.